Steve Lawson CD (was: Re: Unidentified subject!)

[ArsOcarina@aol.com]

In a message dated 6/7/02 10:29:32 AM, steve@steve-lawson.co.uk writes:

>now, you daft bastard, record a CD and make some money  
>out of the damn stuff!!! :o) 

Speaking of CDs Mr. Steve Lawson . . .

I've been meaning for a long time to tell you and the 
rest of the list just how wonderful I think your bass & 
piano duet CD "Conversations" (with Jez Carr) is . . .
and it truly, truly is too.

A mini review:

>From the beginning of the first track's languid fretless, 
grooving, melodicism it's a feast of inventive looping. 
Hey, and it's so lush and "pretty" that my wife doesn't 
even ask me to "please turn it down" -- which has got 
to be some kind of a first for a '"looping" CD.

Jez Carr's spare, pointalistic pianisms are the perfect 
compliment for what Steve offers. Which is a combination 
of lyrical bass that reminds me of the best of a Mark Eagan
or an Eberhard Weber, with some almost "Frisellian," skittering
loopsterizing weaving in and out from time to time.

Steve's use of loops are integral, organic, and essential 
to the proceedings too. They inject a lot of humor into 
what might have been something more like a chilly, ECM 
record without them. Not that ECM is a bad thing. Some 
of my favorite music is on ECM. But most of you may 
know what I mean.

Examples: after establishing the first track with a loooose
and laaaazy fretless groove Steve introduces twittering, 
backwards (and sped up) chipmunk bass noises in the middle 
so that it sounds like the duet has been visited (and joined) 
by a passing band of musical insects on a flyby. 

The second starts right out with a rhythmic figure of looped 
bass harmonic "pops and clicks" that reminds me of either 
Copland's "The Grand Canyon Suite" or the fellow with the 
coconuts who follows King Arthur around in "Monty  Python 
and The Holy Grail." In the middle of the same track, are 
some wonderfully "loopy" bass glissandi that sound for all 
the world like a theremin in a '50s B-horror film (think faux
spooky, haunted-house "ghost" sounds). Whacky huh? 

This not to say that this isn't serious music. It's just that this 
duo seems to be continually reminding us that they are ALSO 
having fun and don't take themselves TOO terribly seriously. 

The 3rd track is a brief (1:12) sensitive piano solo . . . no bass, 
no loops. Just a short interlude of very pretty piano. But, it also 
underscores the true spontaneousness of the improvisations 
going on elsewhere on the disc, for these ARE improvisations
in the truest sense. No studio editing "trickery." 

I could go on (and on) with each track but I think I've given 
a pretty good "gist" of what this disc is like. There aren't 
any cut's on this CD that are rollicking, uptempo, or show-offy -- 
though they definitely "groove" an percolate at times. The 
overall mood is a pretty consistent one -- of understated 
and sophisticated interplay -- with superb instrumental chops 
and communication which often verges on the telepathic --
with large doses of humor and grace.

Steve Lawson exhibits a very "organic" and creative use of 
live looping and real-time tweaking of effects that should 
be an example to any of us "loopfolk" . . . no matter what 
instrument we play. I can't say enough to recommend his CD
adequately. Just do yourself a favor and get it if you haven't 
already.

Best,

Ted Killian